A direct on the 3rd is getting very unlikely now. :/

Maybe in the West but in Japan Animal Crossing is the best selling game of the generation with over 5 million sales and gave 3DS its best holiday by itself.

I think at this point. Based on Resetera posts from people with sources, the January 11th prediction is looking 10000% more likely than Nintendo quickly announcing one for tomorrow on January 3rd.

If what Nintendo Italy is saying is true about its online service (Fall 2018). Sounds like Nintendo is delaying it till then. Since why would they delay it without a major reason? Which could tie into a major game that uses online services (Smash, GTAV, Animal Crossing, etc.). I'm hyped to see what is announced. Although guessing most will be announced for games coming between now and E3 with a few games announced for post-E3.

https://mynintendonews.com/2017/12/26/nintendo-switchs-paid-online-service-could-be-delayed-till-fall-2018/

High sales alone don’t make a game a killer app. New Super Mario Bros will sell tens of millions on a large user base, but it is not selling consoles on its own. A killer app is a must have piece of software that sells millions of hardware because people feel the need to play it. In addition, killer apps typically drive a substantial portion of the total hardware sales over a time period: the original Super Mario Bros, Wii Sports, and (to a lesser extent) Breath of the Wild are good examples. Sales of 3DS were actually down year over year for the two months following Animal Crossing New Leaf’s release. New Leaf also was not the leading piece of software in that period on 3DS, it was New Super Mario Bros 2. It was a game that people bought because they had a 3DS, not a game that they bought a 3DS because Animal Crossing was on it. Perhaps in combinations with other software, but not alone.

Does that price drop account for New Leaf selling lower than New Super Mario Bros 2 during the same time period? Since you think my conclusion is wrong, then show it, and provide the evidence that New Leaf is responsible for single handedly selling millions of hardware.

A killer game selling less than another killer game makes that first game a non killer game?Thats a fallacy if I ever saw one.A game that sells more than 10 millions appeals to alot of people because people like the concept of the game and buy the console for the game.Thats specially true given thats not the first game in the series and the previous entry sold more than 10 millions too.

And you are contesting the evidence and thus it falls on you the burden to provide solid evidence.

Of course if you only take New Leaf's launch outside of Japon into account, it isn't that impressive. Half of Animal Crossing New Leaf sales come from Japan, so we should be analysing the boost it gave to 3DS sales in Japan instead:

Animal Crossing may not be as strong as Zelda in Europe and America, but thanks to Japan it's still a huge system seller, probably even stronger than any Zelda game worldwide.

Eh, in Japan it's a definite killer app.  Over there Core Pokemon and Animal Crossing are the #1 and #2 selling game series and Animal Crossing New Leaf was able to increase hardware sales at a comparative rate to Pokemon X&Y.  For example, here's the 1st month of hardware sales for when each game was released. 

And here's a comparative chart to what the 3DS sold for the month of November in 2012 when Animal Crossing released compared to a year later.

To me, Animal Crossing is a killer app because it sells a lot of hardware and software units to female audiences which is something that very few retail games are able to do.

???? Animal Crossing is a Monster!!! Did you forget the sales of 3DS, Wii or DS when Animal Crossing was launched?

I Agree. Nintendo have a lot of Killer Apps:

POKEMON

SUPER MARIO 3D

ANIMAL CROSSING

SPLATOON

SUPER MARIO 2D

THE LEGEND OF ZELDA 3D

SUPER SMASH BROS

MARIO KART